Summary
When importing your files into MindBridge, the data goes through several integrity checks to ensure that the data is readable and understood by MindBridge. During the Data Validation step of the import process, MindBridge gives you insights into the quality of your data, so you know exactly what you're working with.
Learn about the date-related issues you may run into, and how to resolve them:
Inconsistent date formats
Ensure all dates that appear within the file appear using 1 consistent date format. Both numeral-only format and a mix of numerals and characters may be accepted.
Numeral format
If you use numbers to represent the day (DD), month (MM), and year (YY or YYYY), ensure they are separated by 1 of the following:
- A dash (-)
- A dot (.)
- A forward-slash (/)
For example, MindBridge will accept any of the following (as well as many other variations), as long as only 1 format is used throughout the entire dataset.
- 01/19/2022 (MM/DD/YYYY)
- 19-01-2022 (DD-MM-YYYY)
- 22.01.19 (YY.MM.DD)
Mix of numerals and characters
The dates in the dataset may also appear using full or partial words to indicate the day, month, or year.
For example, any of the following will be accepted (as well as many other variations), as long as only 1 format is used throughout the entire dataset.
- 2022Jan19 (YYYYAbbrMonthDD)
- 19 Jan, 2022 (DD AbbrMonth, YYYY)
- 2022, January 19th (YYYY, Month DD)
Potential issues
MindBridge supports many date formats, but switching between formats (like MM/DD/YYYY to YY-DD-MM) throughout the file can lead to import errors, while switching between formats, such as MM/DD/YY and DD/MM/YY, may cause MindBridge to read the data incorrectly.
Inconsistent date formatting can occur if...
- The ledger data was not exported all at once
- There was a discrepancy in the settings selected for each export
- The client changed ERPs in the middle of the year
- Somewhere in the file(s), dates were reformatted in Excel using the numeric format — MindBridge is unable to read dates when they appear in this format
Ambiguous date formats
Some date formats are ambiguous, which makes it hard to differentiate the day from the month, from the year. If your dataset contains dates that are ambiguous, there is a chance that MindBridge will misinterpret them and provide inaccurate analysis results.
For example, the date 01-03-12 could be referencing "January 3rd, 2012", or "March 1st, 2012", or even "March 12th, 2001."
Refer to the numeral format and mix of numerals and characters sections above for guidance on formatting dates.
If a date in your dataset is ambiguous, it will be flagged on the Data Validation step of the import process and MindBridge will prompt you to specify the correct format.
Unsupported date formats
MindBridge supports most date formats, with some exceptions. If your dataset contains a date format that MindBridge does not support, there is a chance that MindBridge will provide inaccurate analysis results.
Refer to the numeral format and mix of numerals and characters sections above for guidance on formatting dates.
If you want to include a timestamp at the end of the date, add the hours (hh), minutes (mm), seconds (ss), and optionally, fractional seconds, by ensuring each is separated by a colon ( : ). Additionally, you can apply AM/PM indicators when using a 12-hour time format.
For example, the date 05/05/2021 13:11 PM would not be supported because AM/PM indicators are not applied when using a 24-hour time format.
Learn how to convert dates to a supported format
Anything else on your mind? Chat with us or submit a request for further assistance.